Prof. Buradzhiev is among the most prominent choral conductors in Bulgaria. He was born in Plovdiv in 1958. He has been associated with music since early childhood. He was a long-time conductor and chief artistic director of the Dobrudja Ensemble – Dobrich (1983-2000) and chief conductor of the Academic Student Folk Choir at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts “Prof. Asen Diamandiev” (2004-2023). With the ensembles he led, he has given over 1000 concerts in Bulgaria, Europe, Asia and has been repeatedly awarded the highest and most prestigious national and international awards. The most significant of them are the “Crystal Lyre” of the Bulgarian National Choir Association (2008 and 2014); 4 “Silver Dolphin” awards – Italy, 1988; Gold medal from the 5th World Choir Games, Graz, Austria – 2008; World Champion in the “Folklore” category at the 5th World Choir Games, Graz, Austria – 2008; Crystal Lyre of the Bulgarian Choir Association, Radio FM Classic and the Ministry of Culture – 2008; Honorary plaque and diploma from the Ministry of Culture – 2010; Grand Prix of Choir music – 2011; Diploma and honorary sign “Golden Age” – seal of Tsar Simeon the Great – gold 2018; Diploma of the Ministry of Culture for significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture; “Crystal Necklace” of the Bulgarian Choir Association – 2018; National Award “Nestinarka” – 2019; “Golden Diploma” from the World Choir Festival – Hong Kong – 2021; “Golden Diploma – I degree” from the XI International Choir Competition “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” – Moscow 2022; “Diploma for a bright artistic interpretation of a contemporary composer” from the XI International Choir Competition “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” – Moscow 2022; “Honorary Plaque “Cyril and Methodius” of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria.
His discography is impressive:
• with the Ensemble “Dobrudzha” – 4 LPs and 6 CDs: “Being There”, “Magical Voices from Bulgaria” 1 and 2, “Folk songs & Dances with Ensemble Dobroudzha”, “Dobrudzhanska troika”, “Song & Love”.
• with the Academic Student Folk Choir at the AMTII – 5 CDs: “Bulgarian Folk Choir Masterpieces” (author’s album of the composer
Krassimir Kyurkchiyski), “Live in Concert”, “Magic”, “Folklore and Jazz”, “Folk Visions” – a double author’s album, “Academic Folk Choir” (double album).
From 2001 to 2024 he was a full-time lecturer at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in the disciplines “Conducting a Folk Choir”, “Conducting a Folk Orchestra”, “Conducting a Folklore Ensemble”.
Prof. Kostadin Buradzhiev is the author of the monographs “A Little Book about the Tambourine”; “Plovdiv Composers and Bulgarian Musical Folklore”; “Rumen Sirakov – the Secrets of the Poor Piano” and a number of manuals for folk instruments and folk singing.
In the fall of 2023, Prof. Kostadin Buradzhiev founded the Association “Folklore and Modernity” and created a new choral formation for it, the Academic Folk Choir, composed of performers who graduated from the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts “Prof. Asen Diamandiev” and the National Academy of Music “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov”.
With the new choral formation, Prof. Buradzhiev has released two albums: “Lord, Save Me” with Orthodox works by Bulgarian and Russian composers (2024) and “Folklore Mysteries” (2025).